lamaseryfandomcom-20200214-history
Shén
Shén is the primary deity of the Oseuda Empire, and worship of Him is the officially sanctioned state religion. As the sole monotheistic deity of Lamasery, Shén represents the philosophy of an individual's strength and the wonders that can be accomplished by a single person. Followers of Shén usually refer to themselves as Reihai-Shén, or Shén worshipper. Doctrinal Overview While the clergy of Shén insist that the basics of His faith are very straightforward, it is clear to any lay person that the intricacies of pious service are exceptionally complicated. The keystones of His doctrine can be summarized as follows: *The strength of the individual can never be understated. Self-reliance is its own reward, and makes every person stronger; *Refusal to bow down in undue respect is salutatory. Respect must be earned; *The needs of the community are the needs of many individuals. By making the individual better, one improves the community; *Strength of mind without strength of body leaves one unable to act with authority. Strength of body without wisdom of mind leaves one incapable of informed action. A strong body acting under direction of a strong mind is capable of great things; *Those strong in mind and body are those who should rule. A weak ruler should be cast down; *A tool is a tool, and tools should always be useful. A tool that is not useful is either a crutch, or a stumbling block and should be cast aside; *Society as a whole rises and falls with the strength of one. Be kind to those you meet, they might prove more important than you can imagine. As a structure beneath these basic keystones of faith, a vast array of ceremonies, rites and trappings have grown over the passage of time. Most important among these are the Fourteen Rites of Strength: #The Rite of the Strength of Nature - In which adherents genuflect for a period of one hour in an open air portion of the temple, allowing the strength of nature to be truly experienced; #The Rite of the Strength of Words - In which adherents listen for between one and two hours to the temple's high priest as he presents a topical sermon, or one based on the doctrines of Shén, should current events prove unrelated to matters of faith; #The Rite of the Strength of Mind - In which adherents undergo a series of guided meditations, riddles and tests designed to both broaden and strengthen their mental faculties; #The Rite of the Strength of Body - In which adherents take part in a set of guided calisthenics, foot races and strength building exercises; #The Rite of Ablution - In which adherents ritually clean themselves, usually in a stream nearby the temple or in basins provided by the temple; #The Rite of the Empty Mind - In which adherents meditate upon emptying their minds of all thoughts; #The Rite of the Deaf and Blind - In which adherents are blindfolded and led into a room enchanted for permanent silence in an effort to force the mind to rely on senses other than sight and sound; #The Rite of Determined Effort - In which adherents ritually flog themselves with varying degrees of intensity while concentrating on previous Rites; #The Rite of Sacrifice - In which adherents provide a prized possession for sacrificial destruction. Living sacrifices are rare, and found predominantly among fringe elements of the faith; #The Rite of Dance - In which adherents dance in an ecstatic manner, in a tightly crowded room, to practice awareness of one's place both physically and spiritually in relation to others; #The Rite of the Unbowed Will - In which adherents attempt to force one another to bow by any means necessary. Many formats are considered acceptable, but bowing to an unworthy individual is grounds for excommunication from the faith. In rare cases, failure during this Rite will result in the individual's relegation to Ma Ngu status; #The Rite of Confrontation - In which adherents who have a grievance, either with other adherents or with non-faithful, may face one another in a public forum to debate their concerns and resolve them if possible; #The Rite of Shadows - In which adherents step forward individually and with assistance from a high priest face a personal fear in an attempt to overcome it; #The Rite of Closing - In which adherents are provided food and water for the first time in the worship day, allowed to rest and to speak freely among themselves. While not every temple observes all of the above Rites, and there is no penalty or dishonor in doing so, it is expected that the truly pious will observe the full series of Rites at least twice annually. Category:Deities Category:Oseudan Traditions Category:State Religions